The roar of Boise State’s white-clad student section left the opposition discombobulated, the decibel level in Albertsons Stadium increased after a big play on special teams, and Blitz the Tee Dog got as large an ovation as any player on the field.
Football is back in Boise.
Playing in front of a large home crowd for the first time since the 2019 Mountain West championship game, Boise State put on a show Friday night in its home opener with a 54-13 win over UTEP.
The announced attendance in Albertsons Stadium was 35,518, which is the Broncos’ largest crowd for a home opener since Washington State came to town in 2016, and the third-largest crowd for a home opener in program history.
“That’s what makes the experience here as a Bronco, being able to go out in that stadium and have it packed the way it was,” first-year Boise State head coach Andy Avalos said. “When there’s that type of energy in stadium, that’s a home-field advantage.”
Boise State (1-1) was stellar offensively, racking up 461 total yards. The defense forced six turnovers, the most in a single game for BSU since 2013, and held the Miners scoreless in the second half.
It was the type of performance the Broncos needed after COVID-19 made just getting to game day a monumental task last season, and after a letdown in last week’s season opener at UCF. It was the type of performance that can build confidence heading into next Saturday’s showdown on The Blue against Oklahoma State (7 p.m., FS1).
“We feel like we didn’t reach our full potential last week,” Boise State wide receiver Khalil Shakir said after the game. “We go out there today and every single person, from staff down to players, had something to prove. And when you have a team that has a mentality like that, it’s hard to stop.”
A special teams spark
UTEP and Boise State traded field goals on their first possessions, but a big play on special teams changed the trajectory of the game for good.
Stefan Cobbs gave the Broncos their first lead with an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter. He got a couple of early blocks from defensive backs Markel Reed and Rodney Robinson, and trotted into the end zone pretty much untouched as the Broncos took a 10-3 lead.
Friday was Boise State special teams coordinator Stacy Collins’ birthday, and Avalos said he couldn’t think of a better present.
“The punt return was a huge spark for us,” Avalos said. “Special teams is a clear window to who we are as a team, because that’s where everybody comes together to work as one.”
Cobbs’ first career special teams TD was vital, because the Broncos managed just 43 yards of offense in the first quarter. They racked up 253 yards and 31 points in the second quarter, building a 41-13 halftime lead.
“He reminded me of Avery Williams a little bit,” Boise State safety JL Skinner said of Cobbs. “I was excited to see special teams come together and make a play for the team.”
Cobbs made his way into the end zone again in the second quarter. Quarterback Hank Bachmeier (17-of-24, 340 yards, 2 TD) fooled the defense with a fake handoff and found him all alone behind the Miners’ secondary for a 61-yard score.
Cobbs left the game late in the second quarter with a potential ankle injury and didn’t return. He was on the bench in the second half with a boot on his left foot, but he’d already done more than enough to make an impression on his teammates.
“Man, that turns me up when you see a guy who has been putting in the work every single day since he stepped foot on campus and see it paying off,” Shakir said.
Shakir left his mark on the game, too. He finished with a game-high seven catches for 166 yards, and made spectacular catches to set up several of the Broncos’ scores.
The senior from Murrieta, California, snagged a 41-yard pass with one hand to set up kicker Jonah Dalmas’ first field goal of the game. A couple of drives later, Shakir came down with another one-handed grab and turned a short completion into a 36-yard gain to set up running back George Holani’s 10-yard touchdown, which put the Broncos’ up 17-3 in the second quarter.
Shakir’s performance came a week after he led the Broncos with five catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns at UCF, despite being on a snap count because of a nagging leg injury.
“I don’t how he made a couple of those catches,” Skinner said. “I don’t have an explanation for that. It’s just Shak.”
Boise State got four field goals out of Dalmas on Friday. Running back Andrew Van Buren scored two rushing touchdowns — the second of which gave the Broncos their 41-13 lead at halftime — and tight end Tyneil Hopper hauled in his first career touchdown pass.
Playing takeaway
The Broncos came into the season with a goal of forcing three turnovers a game. They did that and then some Friday night, and three of those turnovers sparked scoring drives.
Boise State’s first takeaway came in the second quarter, when Edge Demitri Washington and defensive end Shane Irwin converged on UTEP quarterback Gavin Hardison, forcing a fumble the Broncos recovered on the Miners’ 3-yard line. One play later, Van Buren crashed into the end zone.
Safety Tyreque Jones nabbed an interception in the second quarter — not long before going out with an injury. He was replaced by freshman Seyi Oladipo, who snagged an interception in the end zone and returned it to UTEP’s 48. Five plays later, Van Buren scored on a one-yard touchdown run.
Oladipo intercepted another pass in the fourth quarter, and he almost had a third pick, Avalos said.
“We push our guys a lot at practice, so when something like that happens, there’s no drop-off or nerves or anything like that,” Skinner said.
The Broncos also got two fumble recoveries from linebacker Ezekiel Noa in the third quarter — the second of which gave Boise State the ball on UTEP’s 19 and led to a 29-yard field goal. That made the score 51-13 lead with 4:19 to play in the quarter.
“We’ve just got to keep taking all opportunities to attack the ball and take it from the other team,” Avalos said.
UTEP got two field goals out of kicker Gavin Baechle in the game, and the Miners scored their only touchdown when Hardison found wide receiver Jacob Cowing on a 48-yard pass in the second quarter.
UTEP averaged more than 250 rushing yards a game in its first two games of the season, but it managed just 104 against the Broncos.
There will be plenty of fond memories for Avalos to look back on from his first win as a head coach, and he’s heading home with a memento. Boise State Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey presented Avalos with a game ball in the locker room, and the former BSU linebacker said it will be displayed prominently in his home office.